Tourism Day in Taiwan
Tourism Day is a holiday observed on the 15th day of the first lunar month in Taiwan. It is a day when people from all over the world come to see the Taipei Lantern Festival. This festival has been observed for centuries, but it was not well-known outside of Taiwan.
This is when the Tourism Board of Taiwan decided to place all the light displays in one location and promote it aggressively to travelers worldwide. Now, it is one of the most popular events in the entire country, and every year a new neighborhood is chosen to host the festival.
The History of Tourism Day in Taiwan
The lantern festival associated with this holiday dates back to the Qing Dynasty, but interest in it began to wane during the 1970s. This is when Taiwan’s Tourism Board decided to create Tourism Day to attract international attention to the festival.
Facts About Taiwan
Below are some fascinating facts we have discovered about Taiwan:
- Only about 2.3% of the population is indigenous to Taiwan. The remaining 97.7% are of Chinese descent.
- Taiwan has a population of 23 million people and is the size of Belgium.
- Taiwan was the first Asian country to legalize gay marriage, in 2019.
Observing Tourism Day in Taiwan
Tourism Day is observed in a different neighborhood each year, depending on when the Chinese New Year ends. There are usually shuttles to the lantern festival, as well as to other points throughout Taiwan. Although this holiday is observed on one day, it is usually celebrated over the course of several weeks.